28/03/14 15:48
Flood funding
Significant investment in new protection schemes and contribution to clean-up costs.
Hundreds of homes across Scotland are to get better protection from flooding with the award of almost £40 million Scottish Government funding.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Paul Wheelhouse has announced the Scottish Government has reached agreement with COSLA to cover 80 per cent of the total cost of two major new flood protection schemes – one in Brechin and one in Selkirk.
The Scottish Government is contributing more than £38.5 million to the projects through the flooding component of the General Capital Grant. The projects have already been granted planning permission, meaning work can get underway later this year.
In addition, the Scottish Government is separately contributing £500,000 towards the cost of fixing damage cause by severe tides and flooding in Dumfries and Galloway earlier this year. This one-off award will help pay for repairs to river banks, sea walls and coastal paths.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Paul Wheelhouse said:
“Communities living under threat of flooding know only too well the devastating effects it can have – as recently seen in Dumfries and Galloway. That is why flooding remains a priority for the Scottish Government which continues to invest in measures to mitigate the impact of flooding and reduce the risk of it happening in the first place.
“I am delighted to confirm more than £38.5 million Scottish Government funding for new flood protection schemes in Brechin and Selkirk – a significant investment which will allow the councils involved to start the tendering process and bring these schemes to fruition.
“I look forward to seeing the undoubted positive impact of these works for residents and businesses in these communities.
“The flooding component of the General Capital Grant should not be seen as the only resource available to local authorities for flood protection work. Local authorities are free to allocate additional resources to flooding from within the overall funding provided to them by the Scottish Government and from within their own resources.
“Additionally, our new Flood Risk Management Planning Process will help us better target efforts to plan and invest in mitigating potential flooding impacts in vulnerable areas in the future.”
Details of the funding awards announced today from the Flooding Component of the General Capital Grant:
• Brechin Flood Protection Scheme (Angus Council – estimated total cost £16,383,000) Consisting of direct defences, flood embankments and flood walls, drainage system upgrades and three submerged pump stations, this scheme will provide protection for approximately 150 properties in the area. Construction is due to commence in late 2014 and the scheme will be the single largest civil engineering project in Angus.
• Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme (Scottish Borders Council – estimated total cost £31,767,058) This scheme will protect around 595 properties against flood events from the Ettrick and Yarrow Waters, the Philiphaugh Mill Lade, the Long Philip Burn and the Shaw Burn. Construction is due to get underway in autumn 2014 and is scheduled to conclude in late 2016.
Local authorities were invited to apply for the most recent round of flood protection scheme funding between 12 December 2013 and 21 January 2014. Full details on project priority and eligibility were set out in the guidance which accompanied the invitation to bid.
Seven applications for flood protection scheme funding were received, from the following local authorities: Angus, City of Edinburgh, Dundee, Dumfries and Galloway, Inverclyde, Perth and Kinross, the Scottish Borders.
A joint COSLA/Scottish Government panel considered the applications and made recommendations to Scottish Ministers and COSLA leaders. The panel also included representatives from Local Authority Directors of Finance and the SCOTS flooding group.
Of the applicants, only two met all the requirements for funding set out in the guidance; these were Angus Council (Brechin Scheme) and the Scottish Borders Council (Selkirk Scheme). There will be further discussions between the Scottish Government and COSLA about how the remaining funding identified for flooding from this Spending Review period is allocated.
Under the flood protection scheme funding arrangement agreed with COSLA, 80 per cent of the total cost of approved projects is funded by the Scottish Government, with the remaining 20 per cent funded at local authority level. Covering 80 per cent of the cost of both the Brechin and Selkirk projects will total £38,520,046.
The additional £500,000 one-off funding for flood repairs in Dumfries and Galloway will be match-funded by Dumfries and Galloway Council.
